Fastener



Nov. 1, 1927.

F. S. CARR FASTENER Filed June 14, 1924 &

/8 1" nve n70 Fig. 1.

Patented Nov. 1, 15. 27.

UhllTEl) STATES FRED S.

CARE, OF NEIVTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR TO CARR FASTENER- COM- ranr, or oil-nearest, isassAonUsE-rrs, A coerce-arrow or MAINE.

FASTENER.

Application filed June 14', 1924.

This invention aims to provide an improved separable fastener. I

In the drawings, which show one illustrative embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a front elevationi'of a pre ferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is'a front elevation of the preferred form of socket;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line .83 of Fig. 4: is a section similar to Fig. showing the relation of parts as t contacts with the socket;

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 3, but showing the relation of parts as the stud is entered part way into the socket;

Fig. 6 is a side and front elevation respectively of the contractible and expansible member of the stud; and

Fig. 7 is a section on thelinep77 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the preferred form of my invention, T have shown a stud (3 which may be attached to a curtain 8 in any suitable manner, but I prefer to provide attaching means substantially as shown and described in my co-pending application filed herewith, Serial No. 719,917.

e stud This form of attaching means comprise a front plate 10, presenting a plurality of substantially long prongs 12 adapted to be forced through the curtain 8 and thereafter clenched into engagement with the back plate 14, as illustrated. The socket-engag ing part 16 is secured to the front plate 10 by a plurality of relatively short prongs 17 substantially as shown and described in the above-mentioned application, and is provided with a plurality of slots 18 which extend throughout the length thereof to permit contraction and expansion when engaging the socket.

The stud also includes a press-button member 19 which is guided by the front plate 10 and a bearing surface 12 provided by rolling inwardly a portion of the socketengagmg member 16. This push-button member 19 protrudes through an aperture-in the front plate and is limited in its axial movement relative to the socket-engaging member by an annular shoulder 20, which contacts with the front plate 16 when moved in one direction and with the bearing surface 19 when moved in the opposite direction.

Serial No. 719,918.

receiving aperture, a camming wall portion B against which the free end of the socketengaging member 16 of the studcontacts when engaging the socket. The material of the front plate portion A continues inwardly beyond the cami'ning portion B to provide follower-positioning means in the form of a generally curved wall 23.

Within the socket, I have provided a looking member 25 formed integral with a sealing disc or follower26 andthe follower is normally urged toward the stud-receiving .apert ureand seated against the wall 23 by a spring 28. When in this position, thelocln ing member is surrounded by the wall 23 and the free end of the locking portion, or effective locking portion thereof, terminates inwardly of any portion of the camming portion B.

The successive steps of engaging the stud with the socket are illustrated by Figs. 4,- 5 and 3 respectively. Fig. 4 shows the stud being urged toward the socket and illustrates how the inwardly bent curved end portions 29' of the socket-engaging part,

which surround the opening in the free endof the socketengaging part, first contacts with the camming portion B surrounding the stud-receiving aperture. As the stud is forced into the stud-receiving aperture, as shown in Fig. 5, the head contracts and then engages the locking member 25* which is excluded from entering the socket-engagingpart, because of the contraction thereof before-f engagement with thelocking member.- Further, pressure upon the stud urges the locking member- 25 and sealing, disc 26 in wardly, against the pressure of: the spring 28, until the head of the socket-engaging part passes through the stud-receiving aperture and again expands. The spring 28 then urges the locking member 25 into the socket-engaging member 16 where it engages the inner edges of the curved portions 29 of the socket-engaging member and prevents contraction thereof.

A locking member 25 in its normal position, as shown in Fig. l, is engaged by the inner edge of the wall 23 in such a manner that its outer end lies in a plane parallel with but remote from the plane of the curved wall of the socket where the'end of the stud first engages it (Fig. 4). Thus, during the entering operation, the socketengaging part 16 must contract considerably, to reduce the size of the opening in its end, before the inbent portion 29 engages the end of the locking part, as shown in Fig. 5. The locking member is, therefore, positively prevented from entering the opening in the stud until the stud has been fully engaged with the socket, as shown in Fig. 3.

I have thus provided an expansible and contractible stud adapted for entrance within a stud head-receiving aperture in a socket, and locking means, wherein a springpressed boss, carried by the socket and adapted to enter the stud and normally to prevent contraction of the head thereof when the stud is fully entered in the socket. The displacement of the locking means, to permit withdrawal of the stud, may be effected in various ways, some of which are shown in copending applications filed by me or my associates.

In the specific embodiment of my invention illustrated, wherein a push button is used to displace the locking means, th locking member also urges the push-button member 19 into its forward position, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. lhus the stud and socket are lock-ed against separation by a strain exerted in any direction which would have a tendency to separate them.

Separation of the stud from the socket may be effected by grasping the lower edge of the curtain and exerting a slight pull thereon, at the same time pressing inwardly on the press-button 19. The locking part 25 is then forced out of engagement with the curved end portions 29 of the stud and the head of the stud is free to contract, thereby to permit withdrawal thereof from the studreceiving aperture.

lVhile I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes involving omission, alteration and reversal of parts, and even changes in the mode of operation, may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, which is best defined in the following claims.

Claims: 1. A separable fastener comprising, in combination, a stud member presenting a contractible and expansible socket-engaging portion having an opening in one end adapted to, be reduced in size when contaeted with a socket, a cooperating socket member having a casing provided with a front face portion surrounding a stud-receiving aperture, said front face portion having a camming portion located adjacent to the stud-receiving aperture for contracting the free end of the socket-engaging portion of the stud when pressed thereagainst, a spring-pressed follower in the socket easing, a lockin portion provided by said follower for locking the stud with the socket, the free end of said locking portion terminating within said casing inwardly of any portion of said cammingportion even when said follower is in its normal foremost position and follower-positioning means forming part of the socket assembly, said means restricting the movement of said follower toward said camming portion so that the free end of said socket-engaging portion of the stud may be initially contracted to re duce the size of the opening therein before contacting with the locking element, there by positively excluding the effective locking portion of said follower from entering the aperture in the stud until after said locking element is forced inwardly by the contracted socketengaging portion and the stud is expanded to complete engagement with the socket.

2. A fastener socket having a casing provided with a front face portion surrounding a stud-receiving aperture, said front face portion having a camming portion adjacent to the stud-receiving aperture for contracting the head of a resilient stud when pressed ther-eagainst, a spring-pressed follower in the socket casing, a locking portion provided by said follower for locking a stud with the socket, the free end of said locking portion terminating within said casing inwardly of any portion of said camming portion even when said follower is in its normal foremost position and follower-positioning means forming part of the socket assembly, said means restricting the movement of said follower toward said caniming portion to prevent the locking portion passing into the plane of said camming portion.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification.

FRED S. GAR-R. 

